How to Make a Fire Starter or Survival Candle

How to make a survival fire starter from recycled material:

Need a quick way to start a fire? Or maybe you don’t have a fire pit and you don’t want to leave a trace? This tutorial will show you how you can make a fire starter using recycled materials that you most likely already have lying around your house. It is also a great survival candle. Trust me, you’ll never go on another camping trip without one of these.

Let’s get started!

Supplies you need to build the fire starter:

Medium sized pot (for boiling water)

Small metal pot (one that can easily sit inside the medium sized pot)

Wax from old candles

tin can (crab meat/chicken/tuna can)

Cardboard

Scissors or a box cutter

Step 1:

Fill your medium sized pot with water and put it on your stove at medium heat.

Fill the pot with water.

Put your stove on medium heat.

Step 2:

While your water is heating up, start prepping the container. Start by removing the label on your can. Then cut your cardboard into 4cm x 15cm strips. You’ll need about 5 of them.

Make sure you have removed the label from the can you are using.

Cut your cardboard down into strips that measure 4cm wide (make them the same as your can, so measure your can first) and 15 cm tall.

Cut your cardboard down into strips that measure 4cm wide (make them the same as your can, so measure your can first) and 15 cm tall.

You’ll need 5 strips total.

Start by rolling one strip of cardboard and place it inside your can. It’s ok if they start to unravel. It will get easier as you place more in.

Step 3:

Your water should be nice and hot now. Place your smaller mug/pot (metal) into the water. Place your wax inside to start melting.

Your water should be nice and hot now. Place your smaller mug/pot (metal) into the water. Put your wax inside.

Your wax will start to melt.

Once your wax has completely melted, remove the small pot/mug from the water.

Step 4:

Slowly poor the wax over the cardboard wicks you made.

Slowly poor the wax over the cardboard wicks you made.

Fill the can about 3/4 full.

Let cool completely.

Step 5:

Now you are ready to light it!

Light it!

Good luck! We hope we helped you learn how to make a survival fire starter using recycled materials!

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About Stephanie

Stephanie is the executive editor of DIYready.com. She is curious, creative, and an expert mess maker who is not afraid to try anything a couple of times to get it right. Her specialties are inventing things, writing no nonsense clear instructions, artistic endeavors, paper crafts, digital media, kids crafts, creating recipes and figuring out new and better ways to do almost anything. Stephanie is a DIY guru who thinks maybe she should have been banned from DIY forums years ago, but enjoys being part information junkie, mad scientist, uncertified gourmet chef and mom of three budding DIY enthusiasts.

4 Comments

bill b

February 21, 2014 at 10:48 pm

you could also vacuum seal these in a prepared bag
for storage and they would be ready, just cut them out

When I was a kid we called these “Buddy Burners” They fit in a Sterno Stove as if they grew there. Another good one is to put charcoal briquettes in paper egg cartons, then pour melted wax on them until they absorb no more. Two or three of these in a fire pit or rock circle will provide enough heat to cook a pretty substantial meal.

If you cook over a Buddy Burner your utensils are going to get sooty. A cotton cloth, (Old bed sheet, or unbleached muslin.) bag will keep the rest of the stuff in your pack or kitchen box clean.

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